"The Magpie Group" open letter to Ashley

[Colly]

Has anyone seen the letter to Ashley today from a combined selection of fan groups, most of whom I've never heard of. Full side of A4, basically says nowt.

31st July 2018

Dear Mr. Ashley,

You hold the hopes, expectations and fate of all Newcastle United fans in your hands. It has been over ten years
of broken promises, lies and deceit. Two relegations, the embarrassment of Joe Kinnear and everything before,
after and in between. Surely now - enough is enough?

Over the last six months a number of meetings and discussions have taken place between many Newcastle fan
groups and organisations. We now all come together under one banner, The Magpie Group, and we are united in
our common desire for Newcastle United to be a club to be proud of at the heart of our local community.
In May 2015 you said "from this day forward we will be making our own luck." These empty words have not been
backed up with actions and relegation, once again, soon followed. It is clear now that it is in the best interests of
both you and the future of Newcastle United that the club is sold.

We cannot speculate on the terms of takeover talks but we know from credible sources that talks have taken
place and bids have been made. We cannot comment on the factors which must be taken into account in order to
value the club but a number of things are now clear.

The new TV deal has been agreed and Newcastle United is in need of a major rebuilding project, from urgently
required investment in the first team playing squad, to the need for significant investment to bring the club's
training facilities and academy up to an acceptable standard following over ten years of neglect on your watch.
If one word could sum up Newcastle United it is potential. A potential you have no interest in. We now have a
world class manager in Rafa Benitez who has united the fans for the first time in a long time, but this alone is not
enough to counteract chronic neglect and under-investment under your ownership.

We need an owner that is prepared to back Rafa Benitez, not only by investing properly in the playing squad but
by backing him to deliver the widespread change needed throughout the club from training ground to academy.
An owner who is not prepared to just release a manager invested in the club, city and community, when the
opportunity arises.

If you cannot attract a buyer that meets your valuation then you must understand that this is because of the
significant amount of investment now required to restore our football club to what it should be.

We have seen the reaction to the #IfRafaGoesWeGo movement and this has acted as a catalyst to bring the
wider fan base together. We are all united in that we will do anything we can, both as groups and together as a
fan base, to drive through a change in ownership.

Over to you, Mike. You have already admitted you are not the man to take the club forward. It is time to sell up
and go.

You are only one man. We are a city.

We are United.
The Magpie Group

[seatonsluicetoon]

Has anyone seen the letter to Ashley today from a combined selection of fan groups, most of whom I've never heard of. Full side of A4, basically says nowt.

Nope. Any way you could post it on here?

[Colly]

https://themagpiegroup.co.uk

It's on there. I don't disagree with the sentiment, I just don't see the point, especially with a week until the season starts. Also a bit surprised that the people behind the flags are involved, the club have engaged well with them and they've managed to get away with some fairly inflammatory statements in the ground.

Meh, I'm just feeling fairly positive. I've been paying this year's ticket since March, we've signed some players, we've not lost anyone key, Rafa (surprise surprise) hasn't left, and we've even got nice kits...

[overseasTOON]

Has anyone seen the letter to Ashley today from a combined selection of fan groups, most of whom I've never heard of. Full side of A4, basically says nowt.

Basically saying we don't know any facts or actual information and this proves you must sell.

[Remember Colo]

I disagree. This isn't manufactured outrage whatsoever - the club actively attempting to move their own manager on for a short term financial gain, bearing in mind the fact that they won't be able to attract another manager of this calibre is nigh on ridiculous behaviour.

I understand we've been under Ashley for 11 years and his intention will always be to mislead fans and make things seem positive but there is no doubt that fans promoting the idea that he needs to move on is the right approach - he will happily sit on Newcastle as an asset, simply because football clubs values are rising miles faster than any inflation rate, unified trust or bond purchase that would probably be where you would park £300m.

The proposal to accept the fate whilst the club fails to compete is unacceptable.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to want Ashley out, just more generally at the amount of people who micro-analyse and take outrage at literally every single decision made by the club. The £4.95 to stream the four friendly games for example, the sheer volume of people kicking off about it really is tragic, some people need to get a life. Fair enough about the big issues, but some things really aren't the issues that people are making out and it's all getting pretty boring. A lot of toon fans seem to be turning into millennials and feel the need to be outraged by everything.

If everyone complains like "millennials", maybe complaining isn't a millennial thing? Sorry, just a big qualm of mine these days, when it seems the grouchiest, pettiest people are in fact older folks, who then project it onto people younger than them.

[omegaprimevkm]

More coverage:

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/f ... w-14979702

I agree with the letter. I also think it is worth trying anything at this stage.

[bodacious benny]

And of course Ashley will see this...

[biggeordiedave]

I hate s*** like this.

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

"You are only one man. We are a city"

What a meaningless statement. Let's write to Trump and say "you are only one man. We are a country". NUFC is his asset, a private enterprise. He can choose to do what he likes, are we going to barricade it?
There's already been massive protest when Keegan left, he doesn't care. He wants rid of the asset for an acceptable price. This is just hot air

[biggeordiedave]

"You are only one man. We are a city"

What a meaningless statement. Let's write to Trump and say "you are only one man. We are a country". NUFC is his asset, a private enterprise. He can choose to do what he likes, are we going to barricade it?
There's already been massive protest when Keegan left, he doesn't care. He wants rid of the asset for an acceptable price. This is just hot air

[lassassinblanc]

I agree with the sentiment alright but we the fans can do nothing unless we crowd fund to buy the club off him and run it say similar to how Real Madrid and Barcelona do via the clubs is owned by the members.

Each 4 years a president is elected.

Not sure if this is allowed of course in PL

but hey Declan Donnelly for president!!!

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

I agree with the sentiment alright but we the fans can do nothing unless we crowd fund to buy the club off him and run it say similar to how Real Madrid and Barcelona do via the clubs is owned by the members.

Each 4 years a president is elected.

Not sure if this is allowed of course in PL

but hey Declan Donnelly for president!!!

It's allowed, just no club has ever been bought out. Only thing fans can do is not go and not give the club any revenue...

[lassassinblanc]

I agree with the sentiment alright but we the fans can do nothing unless we crowd fund to buy the club off him and run it say similar to how Real Madrid and Barcelona do via the clubs is owned by the members.

Each 4 years a president is elected.

Not sure if this is allowed of course in PL

but hey Declan Donnelly for president!!!

It's allowed, just no club has ever been bought out. Only thing fans can do is not go and not give the club any revenue...

THEN LET'S DO IT START A GO FUND ME PAGE
SHARE IT WITH SHEARER, ANT & DEC, STING , JIMMY NAIL !!!

[bodacious benny]

I agree with the sentiment alright but we the fans can do nothing unless we crowd fund to buy the club off him and run it say similar to how Real Madrid and Barcelona do via the clubs is owned by the members.

Each 4 years a president is elected.

Not sure if this is allowed of course in PL

but hey Declan Donnelly for president!!!

Doesn't it work for Real and Barca as they have extremely favourable TV deals (compared to other clubs in La Liga) and various dodgy tax arrangements

[overseasTOON]

It's allowed, just no club has ever been bought out. Only thing fans can do is not go and not give the club any revenue...

THEN LET'S DO IT START A GO FUND ME PAGE
SHARE IT WITH SHEARER, ANT & DEC, STING , JIMMY NAIL !!!

Don't forget BARRY MOAT!

[overseasTOON]

I agree with the sentiment alright but we the fans can do nothing unless we crowd fund to buy the club off him and run it say similar to how Real Madrid and Barcelona do via the clubs is owned by the members.

Each 4 years a president is elected.

Not sure if this is allowed of course in PL

but hey Declan Donnelly for president!!!

Doesn't it work for Real and Barca as they have extremely favourable TV deals (compared to other clubs in La Liga) and various dodgy tax arrangements

Pretty sure we can arrange dodgy tax arrangements if we put our mind to it. This forum is full of accountants!

As for favourable TV deals. How about all members pay £4.95 a month for a live stream?

[Don Sholeone]

Everyone in the stadium has to just stump up £7,500, sorted.

[TBC]

Seems to be a divide between fans wanting to take action, and those wanting to just support the team - and tbh neither are 'wrong'.

The problem is that until we are properly united we can't do anything. Rangers fans' comments on us the other day backed this up, they called us 'loyal lapdogs' and apathetic to the situation. Of course their opinion of us is wrong but because we turn up in our numbers each week and the small sections of fans with bed sheets often look rather pathetic we aren't taken seriously.

Imagine if for just one televised game we could keep the attendance below 20k, or a mass exit like Liverpool's 70 minute ticket price walkout, what a statement that would make.

[Blue & Maroon]

Embarrassing. Support the team, support the manager. Protests normally only have one outcome, they create more of a disturbance on the pitch than they do in the boardroom.

[bodacious benny]

Embarrassing. Support the team, support the manager. Protests normally only have one outcome, they create more of a disturbance on the pitch than they do in the boardroom.

This is my opinion on it. The bad feeling cascades onto the pitch and does nothing to help the team, and Ashley doesn't care anyway.